


slithering on in to your heart

by craptaincold (taakoshell), taakoshell



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, ColdAtom Secret Santa, M/M, also ray and nate play dnd with cisco barry and felicity on friday nights, but they are teenagers, i guess?, leonard is here to help, ray's pet snake is sick, this doesnt really take place at school
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-01
Updated: 2018-01-01
Packaged: 2019-02-26 09:04:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13232499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/taakoshell/pseuds/craptaincold, https://archiveofourown.org/users/taakoshell/pseuds/taakoshell
Summary: So it wasn’t exactly the brightest of his ideas, dumping out all of his school books from his backpack on to the floor and replacing them with a 3 ft long snake, but it seemed like the only logical solution at the time.





	slithering on in to your heart

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ruthc93](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ruthc93/gifts).
  * Translation into Türkçe available: [Kalbine Sürünerek İlerlemek](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14615529) by [AcerbicPen (orphan_account)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/AcerbicPen)



> prompt: AU. Slinky the Burmese python is sick but going to the vet is impossible for Ray bc FUR EVERYWHERE RAY YOU'LL DIE OF ALLERGIES so he needs to ask a friend, and Leonard just happens to be available. And not particularly fond of Slinky. But Ray doesn't know that.
> 
> this isnt quite what you asked for i guess, but it was just how it came out lol. hope you like it anyway ruth!!! i love you!!!! you're a fantastic friend and i'm so glad to have met you. i had a feeling that i got assigned you when the prompts got sent out and i was absolutely delighted when i found out i was right. i'm sure you saw me stressing out about not being able to finish this on time in the discord, but the main reason was because i wanted this to be perfect for you, because you deserve only the best, and my brain was going through a funk that wouldn't let me write good lol. anyway, this fic was crafted with great love and joy for you in every word. i might continue it if you like it enough! let me know what you think. <3
> 
> with love,  
> smelly amelly

Raymond Palmer, age 16, might not have had many  _ human _ friends, but he could always count on Slinky.  Slinky was not only his pet burmese python, but he was the best friend Ray ever had.  He was a fantastic listener, and also did his fair share of intimidating bullies at school whenever he brought him in for show and tell.  His mother wasn’t too fond of Slinky, she said he creeped her out.  But Slinky was harmless.  He had been there for Ray on many lonely nights, often being assigned the roles of many fantastical creatures whenever Ray acted out scenes from books he read.  Slinky meant the world to Ray.

Which was why it was so devastating when he noticed something was wrong with him.  The first time Slinky had shed his skin, Ray had panicked.  He called his mom and they took him to the vet, which was hell on earth for Ray.  He loved seeing different animals.  He really did.  But every time an animal without scales would get near him, he would start sneezing uncontrollably and break out in hives.  That, coupled with the overwhelming anxiety of wondering what’s wrong with his pet, wasn’t really the best experience.

In the end, it turned out that Slinky was perfectly fine, and Ray had worried for nothing.  His mother didn’t seem too happy to have been forced to leave work early for no reason and to spend money for a vet to tell them nothing was wrong.

Ray had learned since then, he knew now what was natural and what wasn’t.  He had read piles and piles of books on proper snake care and how to identify abnormalities.  Regurgitating food like Slinky had done, definitely seemed like an abnormality.  He double checked to make sure his habitat was clean and warm enough.  There was nothing wrong there, which made Ray’s panic start to rise.  A regurgitating snake could mean  _ any number of things _ , but he wouldn’t be sure unless he took him to the vet.  Which, again, was a horrible experience the last time around.  He didn’t want to call his mom home from work early again, he wasn’t even sure she’d believe him if he told her that something was wrong with him. 

Ray sighed and looked at the clock. Oh no. It was already 7:30… He would have to leave for school soon. He thought about his options. He could call Nate. He was homeschooled. He didn’t have anywhere to be. Maybe he could take Slinky to the vet for him…?

Ray hurriedly got dressed for school and dialed Nate’s home phone.

“Hello?” The voice on the other end said.

“Nate?” Ray said.

“Oh, Ray, hey! What’s up? Shouldn’t you be getting ready for school?”

“Yeah, I’m ready, but…” Ray sighed. “Something’s wrong with Slinky. He needs to go to the vet. Do you think you could take him?”

“Oh, shoot, dude. I would if I could, but my mom would kill me. Especially since it’s Monday and I haven’t really gotten any of my assignments for over the weekend done…”

“Can’t you sneak out or something?” Ray asked.

“Oh wow. You must really be desperate. I never thought I’d hear honor student Ray Palmer ask me to play hooky,” Nate said with a small laugh.

“This isn’t funny, Nate. I want to make sure he’s okay. He threw up. I mean, it could be something small like his his habitat isn’t warm enough, but I always keep it at just the right temperature, and according to the books I’ve read, he could potentially have a virus, or a bacteria or fungal infection, or - “

“Hold on a second,” Nate said, cutting him off, and Ray heard a muffled woman’s voice from the other end. Nate must have covered the phone with his hand. “I have to go. Mom’s pissed as hell. I’m sorry, Ray. I hope you get it figured out.”

“Right… Alright. Thanks anyway,” Ray said.

“Yeah, for sure. Oh yeah, don’t forget we’re finishing up Felicity’s Dungeons & Dragons campaign at her house Friday night! See ya!” 

“See ya…” Ray replied, but Nate had already hung up.  He sighed again, looking back at the clock. 7:45.

“Well, Slinky… What if I took you with me?” He said, turning towards his pet. “I could probably fit you in my bag… And we might be able to go to the vet on the way home from school, or during lunch or something…”

So it wasn’t exactly the brightest of his ideas, dumping out all of his school books from his backpack on to the floor and replacing them with a 3 ft long snake, but it seemed like the only logical solution at the time.  And with that, he started walking off to school.

He started, at the very least. He didn’t get very far. He got about halfway there before he was stopped by senior at his school that Ray recognized as Mick Rory.

“Hey, kid. Unless ya want your backpack on fire, why don’t ya hand over your lunch money?” He said.

Ray shook his head and kept walking.  “I don’t have time for this. I don’t have any lunch money on me today.  Besides, you’re being horribly cliche.”  He stopped briefly just to raise an eyebrow at the other.  “Bullying me for lunch money? Really? I know for a fact that you stole $5 off of Winn last week. You have money.”

He started to walk again. Mick scoffed and followed him.

“You got guts talking to me like that, kid,” he said. He was catching up to Ray, until another senior that Ray recognized as Leonard Snart seemingly materialized out of the shadows and put a hand on Mick’s shoulder.

“Enough, Mick. This kid’s friends with Lisa’s boyfriend,” Leonard said.

“Yeah, so?” Mick said.

“So, he’s on a no shit list,” Leonard said.  Mick grunted in consideration.  Ray had kept walking, but they were talking loud enough for him to hear. He would have to thank Cisco later for indirectly saving him from trouble.

He almost got a decent distance away from them, until he stumbled a little over a crack in the sidewalk.  Suddenly, Leonard and Mick cut off their conversation.

“Hey, Pretty Boy! That a snake in your bag or are you just happy to see me?” Leonard called. Oh. Oh no. Slinky must have slipped out of his bag a little. If he could just get him back in there and keep going on his way without any trouble…

But Leonard and Mick had already caught up with him by the time he managed to put him back in the bag.

“Cat’s out of the bag, Palmer,” Leonard drawled, “Or should I say snake?”

“Ha, hilarious,” Ray deadpanned. “Look, I have to take him to the vet -” Ray began.

“So, you ain’t going to school today, Boy Scout?” Mick asked, and Ray was cut off for the second time that day.  Ray sighed, for the third time that day.

“No. Just… Please, I don’t need any trouble. This is an emergency. He could be seriously ill,” Ray said.

“Well, why don’t we go with you?” Leonard offered, his voice almost a purr. Or was that just his normal speaking voice? God, Ray couldn’t tell, but it was certainly alluring. “If you get in trouble, blame it on us.  Say we held you up.”

“Why are you being so nice to me?” Ray asked. 

“‘Cause, you’re Ramon’s friend,” Leonard answered.

“Is that the only reason why?”

Leonard hummed. “You got me. I don’t like seeing animals in need. Even if they are… snakes,” he said.

Ray looked at him curiously.  “Do you not like snakes?”

“Never been too fond of them, no.  But I think I can make an exception today, for such a pretty boy like you.”  Leonard winked.  Ray felt his face heat up.  Mick made a gagging sound.

“Gross.  If we’re playing hooky with Haircut, can we get on with it already?”

“Yeah… Uh. Thanks, guys. The vet’s office is this way,” Ray said, as he nodded his head toward a building down the road.

As it turned out, the only thing wrong with Slinky was that someone picked him up right after he ate.  Ray was relieved.  Relieved, and shocked too, that the vet bill seemed to have been picked up by someone else.  He wouldn’t even have to tell his mother about this visit.

He looked around the waiting room where he had left Leonard and Mick and they were gone.  Ray smiled slightly.  They must’ve paid for it.  With… stolen lunch money.  It was probably just Winn’s, right?  He probably wouldn’t mind.

Slinky made it home safe and sound, and the incident wasn’t brought up again until the next day, when Ray found a note on his locker.

 

_ Raymond, _

_ A matter of repayment needs to be discussed.  Bleachers after school. _

_ XOXO, Leonard _

 

Panic rose within Ray.  There was no way he had enough money to cover whatever he owed Leonard.  Of course, he planned on paying him back for it anyway, but he just really hoped he could get some sort of payment plan.  Like, he would do Leonard’s homework for the year or something?  He should’ve expected that Leonard would approach him first about it.

As the day went on, Ray’s anxiety grew.  When the end of the day came, he was almost too nervous to even show up.  But, being the sincerely goodhearted person he is, he went.  He almost didn’t see Leonard at first, until he got closer to the bleachers and saw him leaning against the fence and posing with a cigarette, reminding Ray of the models he’d see on magazines. He sure was handsome enough to be a model, anyway.

“Raymond,” Leonard greeted.  Ray awkwardly raised his hand in a wave.  Leonard grinned.  “So good of you to show up.  I’m sure you know what this is about.”

“Yes, but Leonard, I’m sorry, I don’t have any money to give you right now, but -” Ray began.

“No money.  I’m not asking for money.  I get enough of it from duping Oliver Queen into doing stupid bets.  Kid’s loaded, and stupid.  Truly the best combination.”

“Then what do you want?”

“What I want...” Leonard said, moving from his position from standing against the fence to approach Ray, close enough that their faces were barely an inch away from each other.  Ray’s breath hitched.  “Is to join your Dungeons & Dragons campaign.”

Ray burst out laughing.  “Is that all?”

Len simply smirked and kissed him lightly on the lips.  Ray blinked in surprise, but before he had time to process what that meant, Leonard was gone.  Ray brought his fingers up to his lips, trying to savor Leonard’s phantom touch.  He smiled.  This was going to be an interesting rest of the year, wasn’t it?

**Author's Note:**

> come yell w me on the [tumblrz](http://craptaincold.tumblr.com/)


End file.
